Parenting: The Ups and Downs
by komodo.dragon2
Summary: EnglandxReader: Bringing up Alfred and Matthew. Please R&R! :D
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Beginning

"I wanna bedtime story!" Little Alfred sang as he chucked a pillow at Arthur, who dodged it.

"Me too." Matthew shyly agreed, slightly nodding.

You giggled as you listened in on the conversation. Thankfully you were standing in the room beside them so they couldn't hear your giggle. "It's 'want a' not 'wanna'." you heard Arthur chide. "A story?" he repeated as his mind wandered. "Hmm...ah, I know just the perfect one. Once upon a time-"

"Wait! Nana's not here!" Al protested loudly.

"Nana?" He repeated, confused.

Both boys nodded. "Nana has to hear it too!"

You walked into their room, smiling at the little boys that you loved. "I'm here! Is anything wrong?"

"Yeah Nana! We want you to hear the story too! But don't worry, Mattie and me will protect you from the scary monsters! 'Cuz we're heroes!"

You grinned and sat down in between the boys, who both climbed into your lap: Al first, then Matthew. "Thanks boys, I feel much safer now that I know who is lookin' out for me." You hugged them tightly and kissed their heads. "Eww! Nana stop it! That's gross!" Al complained, shaking his head.

"What is?" You chuckled.

"You're acting like a girl!"

"That's because I am a girl!"

Al's eyes widened in disbelief. "You are?"

Arthur cleared his throat trying to regain the tykes' attention. "It's 'the reason is that', not 'cuz'. Now let's begin-"

The older boy poked your stomach, and in a "whisper", said, "Nana! I want popcorn!"

You smiled and tousled his hair. "Alfred, Mr. Arthur is trying to tell you a story. Be patient."

"But I'm hungry!" He whined, ferociously tugging your sleeve.

Sighing, you looked at Matthew. "Are you hungry too?"

The shyer lad nodded, blushing at the attention.

"All right. You two listen to Mr. Arthur's story, and after he's done, I'll go make you some food, okay?"

"Okay!"

"O-oui."

"Thank you, Nana. Now!" Mr. Arthur cleared his throat again. "Once upon a time, there lived a little boy-"

"A little boy! Was he like me?!" Alfred interuppted.

"If you'll be quiet, I'll tell you! Now this little boy had a secret."

Both boy's eyes widened. "Oooooh..." they whispered in unison, leaning in.

"Yes, a secret." Arthur whispered. "A secret...that no one else knew."

You bit your cheek to keep from laughing at your master's face. Smiling, you softly tightened your hold on Al and Matthew as the little boys waited for the secret.

"Oooh..." the shy boy whispered, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Tell us the secret already!" Alfred demanded excitedly, throwing his hands in the air.

Arthur shot the little boy a look, and then said in a hushed voice, "His secret was...he could fly."

"Fly?!" He said gleefully, standing up. "I wanna fly!" He shouted, twirling around in his SuperMan pajamas.

"It's 'want to fly' not 'wanna'! Let me finish the story!" He cleared his throat once more as Al sat back down on your lap. "His name...was Peter Pan."

Both of the boys sucked in a breath, and leaned in a little bit. Smiling, you curled Matthew's hair around your fingers, loving just how adorable your boys were. Matthew was a shy sweetheart as well as a snuggle bug whereas his brother was a loud happy boy, who "hated" girls and mushy things, though occasionally liked hugs. You loved them both and were thankful you got to be their Nana.

You listened as Mr. Arthur told the story, admiring the Brit's storytelling abilities: the way his mossy green eyes lit up or darkened, how he used his hands to illustrate, and the way he "became" the characters by changing his voice and posture.

Your eyes locked with Arthur's and you blushed when he winked at you. Yes, despite your reluctance to admit it, you had developed a school-girl crush on your master. How could you not? He loved the children, was a warm, friendly man with gentlemanly manners and a good heart. Despite his flaws (who didn't have them?), he was perfect. He couldn't cook, or be a mother to the children, which is why you were here: Housekeeper, nanny, mother, cook, and friend all in one.

"So Peter Pan decided he would have to be brave and save TinkerBell from the nasty Captain Hook." Arthur said, poking Al in the stomach. "And so, what did he do? He did what he said he would do." The Brit smiled at Mattie and continued. "He pulled out his sword...and when the time was right, he challenged Captain Hook like a hero would. He said, 'Captain Hook! Tinker Bell is my friend and you can't have her!' And Captain Hook growled and unsheathed his sword, pointing it right at Peter Pan's chest." Arthur poked Matthew, whose eyes were already enlarged.

You smiled as Al swallowed nervously. "W-what happened, Mr. Arthur?"

"Well Peter Pan knew he had to be brave, so he charged Captain Hook, swinging his small sword at the captain's chest. Captain Hook fended off Pan's sword and charged, cutting Peter's arm."

Matthew whimpered and clung to you, very afraid of Mr. Arthur's fictional character. "Shh sweetheart." You whispered, rubbing his back. He sniffled and still clung to you. "Shh Mattie, Peter Pan won't die. Mr. Arthur won't let him die."

"And then Peter Pan shoved Captain Hook into the water where the crocodile was there ready to eat him up!"

"OOH!" Al giggled, very happy about the happy ending. "SO!" Laughing at his loud voice, he tugged on your blouse. "Nana, I'm hungry!"

"Oh that's right, I promised you two snacks. All right, say goodnight to Mr. Arthur and come to the kitchen. Don't forget to thank him for the story!" You stood, Matthew still clinging to you. "Mr. Arthur, Mattie says goodnight and thanks for the story."

"Oh you're welcome, lad. I'm pleased you liked it." He smiled.

"Yeah thanks! G'nite!" Alfred jumped him and then took your outstretched hand.

"You're welcome. Goodnight." He stood and sighed, watching the three of you walk downstairs to the kitchen. Arthur rubbed his eyes and walked downstairs to the living room, plopping down onto the overstuffed couch. As much as he loved his tykes, they could be quite taxing on the nerves...particularly Alfred.

/\~~~~/\~~~~/\

You fed the boys milk and cookies, grinning as they gobbled them up greedily. Matthew sighed as he hugged his teddy bear, relieved to be away from the haunting Captain Hook.

"Mey Mana!" Al said, tugging on your apron.

"Alfred, don't talk with food in your mouth, you could choke."

He gave a dramatic sigh and swallowed his food, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Hey Nana!"

"Yes baby?"

"Can we play pirates after cookies?"

"Pirates? I don't think so, Al. You need to go to sleep."

"Awwwwww!" He whined, tugging on your apron harder. "Pweeeease Nana?"

You sighed, smiling at him. His adorable four-year old face was all puckered up like a smaller toddler's. And his "pweeease" didn't help any. "All right, but only for ten minutes while I put up the milk and cookies."

"Thank you Nana!" He shouted, tearing up the stairs to the bedroom he shared with his brother.

"You're welcome! Don't make a mess!" You called after him. Matthew politely sat in his high chair and ate his cookies. You chuckled as you saw the boy hold up a cookie to his bear, Kuma. Matthew looked around, and then ate the cookie. He swallowed, and then asked shyly, "Nana...more?"

You hid a smile. "What happened to all of your cookies?"

"Kuda ate them."

"Kuma?"

He nodded.

"How about I give you one and you share it with Kuma?"

He thought about it and nodded. "O-...o-okay."

"All right." You planted a kiss on his head and handed him the cookie.

Matthew ate it and then held up his arms, wanting out of his chair.

"There you go." You scooped him out and set him down, taking his hand as you led him upstairs.

Alfred was jumping on his bed, attacking his stuffed animals while shouting, "I will save you TinkerBell!" The four-year old pulled out an imaginary sword and ran it through his pillow, giggling with glee.

"What are you doing?" You laughed, setting Mattie down. "You have to sleep with that sweetheart."

"Nana! I'm Alfred Pan and I saved the fairy from mean old Captain Hook!" He pointed to three-year old Matthew and said, "And he's the Lost Frog!"

"Frog? That's not polite Al. Why don't you let him be the Lost Boy?"

"Because boys don't say weird things!"

"Weird...things?"

Matthew looked at his brother, puzzled. "F-frog?...Moi?"

You rolled your eyes at Alfred. "Just because your brother speaks French does not mean he's a Frog."

"But", the boy interjected, "Mr. Arthur says that Mr. Francis is a Frog, and he speaks French!"

"Mr. Arthur is wrong. Now apologize."

He, of course, ignored your polite suggestion. "Alfred Pan and the Lost Frog and Bear!"

Sighing, you poked Al in the stomach. "Listen to me, calling someone a Frog is not polite. You need to apologize, and then go brush your teeth."

"Awwww! But you said I could play, Nana!"

"I said you could play for ten minutes. It's been eleven."

"B-but!"

You exhaled and scooped up Mattie. "Fine, you have five more minutes. I'm going to help your brother brush his teeth, and then it's your turn."

"Okay Nana!" he giggled.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's brush your teeth and get in your bed."

Matthew, still puzzled at his brother's words, nodded and said to his bear, "Ribbit?"

You helped the boy brush his teeth while trying to explain that he wasn't a frog despite what Alfred said. "You're not a frog sweetie. You're a boy. You're Mattie, oui?"

He looked up and shyly nodded. "O-oui."

"Good." You planted a kiss on his head and led him to his bed. "Alfred, time to brush your teeth. Now."

"Awwww!"

"Now or else."

He sighed loudly and stomped off to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Matthew snuggled under the covers with his bear and looked up at the ceiling, repeating "Boy" and "Ribbit" to himself.

"I'm done!" He announced, bouncing in the room. "I even brushed my hair!"

"Let me see."

Alfred nodded and gave a cheesy smile. "Cheeeeese!"

"... Good enough. Get in bed, it's really late. You're not going to want to get up tomorrow."

He obeyed, attacking his pillow. "Can we go to the park tomorrow, Nana?"

"We'll have to ask Mr. Arthur." You tucked him in and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Al. I love you."

"Ewww Nana! You're being a girl again! Stop it!" He protested, wiping off his cheek.

"Can I have a kiss?"

He rolled his eyes and kissed your cheek. "Hold still!" He stood, raised his hand, and wiped his kiss off. "There! Night Nana!"

"Night Al." You smiled and walked over to Matthew and tucked him in. "Goodnight Mattie. I love you." you planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

He blushed at your touch, and nodded, holding up Kuma.

You grinned and kissed the bear's nose. "Goodnight Kuma. I love you too." You turned off the light, and quietly walked downstairs, not paticularly excited about cleaning up everything.

Arthur sighed, rubbing his head as he reclined in his overstuffed chair. "Oh...Alfred..."

Pausing, you walked up behind him and placed your hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Arthur...it's late...why don't you get some sleep?"

"Tell me, _. How do you deal with him?!"

"He's not that bad..." You smiled, "He's...quite imaginative for a four-year-old...and he does deeply respect and admire you. There's nothing to be so worried about...right?"

Sighing in defeat, Arthur nodded. "Yes, I agree...though sometimes I wish Matthew's quiet behaviour would rub off on him."

"Well...maybe they'll balance each other out...?"

"I suppose it's a possibility. Goodnight, _." He said as he stood and walked away.

You blushed slightly and nodded. "Goodnight sir." Hurriedly you cleaned up what mess the boys had made and walked upstairs to your own bedroom. Exhausted, you fell on your bed and drifted to sleep, dreaming of boys, Mr. Arthur, Captain Hook, frogs, and Kuma.

/\~~~~/\~~~~/\


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"Mr. Arthur, can we go to the park today, pleeeease?" Alfred begged, tugging on the Brit's sleeve with his grubby hands.

"Hmm?" Arthur looked up from his book. "What was that, lad?" He asked.

"Can we go to the park today? Nana said we could if you said so." Al grinned cheesily.

"Oh did she? Do all of you want to go?"

"Yes!" Al said impatiently, tugging harder on his sleeve.

Arthur relieved his sleeve out of the tyke's hand and sighed. "Very well, but first let me speak to Nana. Where is she?"

"She's helping Mattie with his bear. Kuma got in the peanut butter."

"...And how did Matthew's stuffed bear do that?" He asked, eyeing Alfred sternly.

The little boy lowered his eyes and worked his toes in the rug. "..."

"Alfred, did you put peanut butter on Matthew's bear?"

"..." He kept his eyes away from the Brit's glare.

"...Alfred, answer me."

"...Kuma got in the way of my peanut butter and jelly sandwhich!"

Arthur sighed. "Come with me, let's go find Nana."

/\~~~/\~~~/\

Matthew sobbed into your shoulder as you tried to wash the peanut butter out of Kuma. "Shh baby, we'll fix him." You wiped your hands on a nearby towel and hugged him while rubbing his back soothingly. "Shh, we'll wash him and Kuma will be good as new, okay?"

He hiccuped and sobbed, wiping his eyes on your shoulder. "K-Kumda...dirty..." He wailed.

"Mattie, he'll be all right." You rubbed his little back soothingly as his small hands fisted chunks of your shirt.

Arthur walked into the bathroom with a red-eyed Alfred. "Alfred, apologize now."

"I don't wanna!"

"You apologize or I'll spank you again."

Alfred looked up at the Brit and sighed, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry Mattie..." A nudge from the older man made him continue. "I didn't mean to put peanut butter on him..."

Matthew wailed and hugged you tightly. "K-Kumdka dirty 'cuza Al!"

"I know baby, I know. We'll get him cleaned up. Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

Al looked up at Mr. Arthur. "Hey, can we go to the park now?" he asked completely forget the drama his brother was going through.

"Alfred!"

"K-Kula!"

"Shhh sweetheart." You shot Al a look and sighed. "Why don't we eat breakfast and then go play at the park okay? Mr. Arthur can finish cleaning up Kuma." You stood and carried weepy Mattie and hyper Al downstairs to the kitchen, completely ignoring Arthur's look of surprise at the job he had been assigned.

/\~~~/\~~~/\

You cooked pancakes, hoping to get Matthew's mind off of his bear, and it seemed to work rather well. He ate happily like a shy magpie and even asked for seconds. Smiling, you wiped off the syrup from the boy's mouth and shirt, kissing his little forehead. "Ready to go play at the park?"

"O-oui." He nodded, holding up his arms.

You lowered him to the ground and then turned to wipe off Al's face, shirt, and hands. "All right boys. Alfred, why don't you go get Mr. Arthur while Matthew and I make a picnic lunch? Then we can go."

"Okay!" The four-year old scrambled down from his chair and dashed upstairs to find Mr. Arthur.

"Mattie, could you fetch the picnic basket? It's in there." You pointed towards the wooden cabinet.

"O-oui." He sniffled and toddled over, pulling on the handle to open the door. It took quite some effort, but eventually he pulled out the picnic basket and while struggling, he dragged it over to you. "H-here."

"Merci Mattie." You kissed his head and placed several foods inside. "Do you think I should pack lemonade or milk?"

"L-L-...Li..."

"Lemonade it is. Merci, you are a marvelous helper."

He blushed and buried his three-year old face in your pants, quite unaccustomed to the attention.

You tousled his hair affectionately and packed away the last of the cookies. "Mr. Arthur and Al should be down anytime now, and then we can all go play. Any games you want to play?"

He didn't answer. Instead he gently tugged on your clothes, blushing.

Arthur descended down the stairs with a chattering Alfred. "Are we already to go?"

You held the picnic basket with one hand, and scooped up Matthew with the other hand. "Yes, let's go."

Alfred squealed and ran outside, dragging Arthur with him. You laughed and followed, swinging the picnic basket gently.

"Mattie and me can play Alfred Pan! And Mr. Arthur can be Mr. Smee, and Nana can be Tinkerbell who gets capshured by the mean Mr. Frenchy Froggie who then tries to kiss Nana and then I save the day!"

"What about Mattie, Al?" You asked, kissing Mattie's head. "Can he help save me too?"

Alfred gave a large sigh. "Fine…Mattie and I will save ya." The other boy shyly smiled.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Well, does anyone see a good spot to have our picnic?"

You pointed to a nearby shaded area. "How does that look?"

Al nodded and tugged on the picnic basket you were holding. "Hurry Nana! I'm hungry!"

"All right baby, we're coming!"

The Brit mumbled something too low for you to hear, but you were positive that it was something about a certain hyperactive tyke. Once you three arrived at the selected spot, you set down Matthew and started to unpack the picnic basket. "Mhm looks good." Arthur commented. "Need any help?"

"No, I think I have it all taken care of." You smiled at him as you slowly sat down. "Mattie, do you want to go play with Al?" Al, who was currently charging towards a jungle gym set, completely ignored everyone.

He shook his head and claimed your empty lap. As you talked with Mr. Arthur, his little hand slowly sneaked into the picnic basket for some unpacked goodies. "So, how was your morning?"

"Morning? Oh before the picnic idea? Rather enjoyable. I got quite a bit of reading done….it was good. Very good. How was yours?"

You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and smiled. "Well besides gaining expertise in cleaning stuffed animals, it was a good morning I suppose. It was better than some I've had." Blushing ever so slightly, you laughed and focused on Arthur. "But my morning is getting better."

Arthur's smile grew. "Good." His eyes trailed over your face, not at all ignoring the beauty of it: warm eyes, a rather cute nose and chin, not to mention that blush which was quite attractive. Unfortunately, he had decided against any romantic endeavors once Mattie had joined the family. As much as he disliked it, that simple rule must remain: for one, he had the boys to think about. A new mother figure in their life might be disastrous, especially if later, the children would have become attached and they two separated. No, a new mother figure just couldn't happen. _ wasn't a bad idea, but the whole employer/employee thing was a big issue…and he didn't want to cause any scandalous ideas._ No, it's better if I don't get involved… after all….we don't want it to happen again…_

You blushed again, mentally slapping yourself for the awkward pause. "I um…really liked your story last night. The one that you told the boys…remember? I think that they liked it too. Alfred has talked of nothing else since."

Your voice called his mind back to the present. "Thank you. I was told that story when I was tyke, and I'm glad I remembered it."

"I know Alfred enjoyed it. I believe Matthew did too."

"I'm sure they did." The Brit paused, then continued in a quieter voice. "_...Do…do you think the boys are happy? Do you think they're getting what every little boy needs? Do you think they're getting everything they deserve? Do…do you think we're doing a good job?"

"I…." You stammered, completely unexpecting those questions. You considered it for a moment. Where they? Were Al and Mattie getting the important family structure they needed? Were you and Mr. Arthur doing a good job? Should you be trying harder? "I…I think that they are. I think that they're happy. Alfred is constantly laughing, Mattie is always clingy, I believe that they are. They love us as if we were their parents. We're the closest things to a Mommy and Daddy that they have, and I say that we're doing a good job. Now, granted, we're not acting like a married couple, but still, we are the "Mom and Dad" figures."

Arthur nodded slowly as you continued. "We spank them when they disobey…and we reward them when they're good…I think we're doing it right...it's the best we have to offer…" Softly, you dipped your head and whispered to yourself, "But it's not the best we can do."

"I suppose….when it's put that way…you're right."

"NANA!" Alfred's scream interrupted the conversation. "COME HERE! NAAAANAA!"

Arthur sprang to his feet while you grabbed Mattie and did the same. "I'M COMING AL! HOLD ON!" You two dashed towards the playground, eyes frantically searching for your precious child. "ALFRED!"

Alfred was sitting on the ground, bawling and wailing, surrounded by blood. "NANA!"

You handed Matthew over to Arthur and tried to calm everyone down. "I'm here baby, I'm here. Come here love, come here." The toddler sobbed as you hugged him to your chest. "Shh, where does it hurt, love? Al, where does it hurt? Shhh baby, you're allright, I'm here. You're all right, I'm here."

While attempting to console him, you gently felt his body for any signs of harm. He seemed all right…nothing seemed to be hurting…then where was the blood coming from? "Al, lean back for me sweetheart. Let Nana see."

Matthew sobbed into Arthur's chest as Alfred obliged, wailing. You sighed partially in relief and in pity. He had skinned his legs on the gravel surrounding the playground. "Okay baby, Nana's here. Shhhh sweetheart, shhhh." Although the scrape was rather bad, at least he wasn't dying.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"He just needs some bandages and something to clean the wound... which I packed in the picnic basket. Thankfully that's all…"

Arthur nodded and leaned down so his eyes met Al's. "Listen here chap. Nana packed us some lunch, all right? Why don't we go eat lunch while Nana cleans you up? Does that sound good?"

You slowly stood cradling the boy while trying not to cause him anymore pain. "Let's go eat sweetheart. I'll clean you up."

"O-o….O-okay…b-but hurry Nana! I-it hurts! OWWWWW!"

Mattie sniffled as he hid his face in Mr. Arthur's chest, his fists tightening his hold on Arthur's shirt. "A-Al...o-okay?" He whispered softly, his blue eyes all wet from crying.

"Yes love, he's all right. He just fell and hurt his legs. But cheer up, Nana's taking care of him, Matthew. See look, he's all right."

Hesitantly he looked over to see you dabbing something on Alfred's leg. Arthur walked over, a bit miffed at you deciding to use a bottle of his precious ale, to help clean the wound, but was relieved to see that Al would be all right.

You focused on cleaning the wound while trying to calm Alfred. "So what were you playing sweetheart?"

"P-Peter Pan..." he stammered, eyes watching his nana work. "I...I was saving you..."

"Oh? From whom love?"

"Mr...Mr...Fr-Frenchy..." He howled as the acholic beverage touched his leg. "OWWWW NANA!"

"I know baby, shhh." You blew on it to help ease the stinging. Al clutched onto your shirt, big fat tears streaming down his dirty cheeks. You kept blowing on it, until finally the pain subsided.

You smiled at him and asked, "You'd really save me from Mr. Frenchy?"

"Y-Yeah Nana...I'd save you...I'mma hero!"

You grinned and placed the bandage on, then kissing his leg. "How does food sound to the hungry hero? I even packed cookies!"

Arthur set Mattie down, who walked over to his brother and sat down, eagerly awaiting his food. "N-Nana...f-food?"

"Yes!" You sat down and pulled out plates.

"Hurry Mr. Arthur! I'm hungry!" Al protested, forgetting all about his earlier drama.

"All right, I'm coming chap, keep your shirt on." He tousled the tyke's hair and sat down in between the boys. You blushed and fixed plates for everyone, feeling...fantastic. Today was perfect: Sunny day, soft warm breeze, plenty of shade, you were with the boys you loved...and they (besides Arthur) loved you back. The two littler boys ate happily, though Al finished his much faster than his brother. "Hey Nana, I wanna have my cookie now!"

"Oh?" You smiled, looking up. "Are you done?"

"Yeah! See?!" He grinned, holding up his empty plate. "All right, here you go..." You reached in the basket for his precious cookies. Eyes widening, you looked and saw there were only two cookies left. _Who ate them?!_ "Here Al..."

He giggled and ate half of it in one bite. Mattie walked over and looked inside the basket. You rolled your eyes. "Mattie...did you take the cookies?"

His eyes widened, and he nodded sheepishly. "O-Oui..."

"Ah..." You picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. "Well here, would you take mine? I'm too full." With unspoken glee, he eagerly accepted and sat on your lap, avoiding your plate to eat his cookie.

Arthur laughed and threw away all of the trash. "This was a fun day."

You smiled and hugged Matthew sweetly, kissing his head. "Yes...yes it was." Not only had you had a picnic with the boys...but you even got time to talk to Arthur.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Deep inside the Kirkland household…."Pbbbbbbbt…vrroooooom….." Alfred's grubby fingers moved his toy cars up and down the plump couch. The design of the couch had vertical and horizontal stripes, making instant roads and intersections for his cars. He dropped a light blue sports car and chortled with glee as it flipped and fell on the floor. Hurriedly he grabbed it and tried again. "Vrooooommmmmm….."

Matthew sat on his favorite blue blanket, hugging Kumajiro lovingly. He had been so relieved when Mr. Arthur held out a damp, peanut butter-free Kuma, that he hadn't let the bear out of his sight. Even now, the two were together as they watched a quiet movie: Matthew hugging Kuma and eating a bowl of dry Cheerios.

You were hunched over, trying to mend a pair of Arthur's pants. Slowly you straightened your posture and rocked rhythmically in your rocking chair as your fingers tugged on a stray piece of string. Pausing in your violent struggle, your eyes misted over as you gazed at your boys. _I'm lucky to be their Nana._ You thought happily.

Mr. Arthur's rustic grandfather clock chimed twelve times, signaling lunchtime. Al dropped his toys and charged into you. "Nana!" He exclaimed. "Let's eat now!" Mattie stood, one hand full of Kuma and the other full of cheerios. He waddled over and looked up at you curiously, munching.

You grinned and nodded, although slightly frustrated with Mr. Arthur's pants. "Okay okay." Standing, you laid the pants down and held out your hands, waiting for each to take one. Alfred excitedly grabbed your hand and immediately tugged. "Hurry Nana! I'm hungry!" He whined impatiently. Mattie looked at your hand then back down at his full hands, deciding which would leave so he could grab your hand. His eyes drifted from the bear to his snacks, not really wanting to give either up. Finally he stuffed the cheerios into his mouth and with a somewhat sticky hand, claimed your hand, slowly chewing.

You smiled, chuckling a bit at Mattie as Al led you both downstairs. "How does grilled cheese sound?" you inquired as you entered the kitchen. Both boys nodded, eager for food. "Good! Alfred, why don't you go tell Mr. Arthur it's time for lunch?"

Laughing, Al dashed into the hall, opening and slamming doors while he called, "Mr. Arthur? Where are you?"

~~~/\~~~

The grandfather clock slowly called out each second that passed in the room. With the windows opened slightly, a calm breeze rolled in the living room where Arthur was seated on the sofa, peering at the coffee table as he held a puzzle piece to a jigsaw puzzle. "Mhm…let's see now…"

"Hiyah Mr. Arthur!" The four year-old shouted, tackling the couch. The puzzle jolted a bit, as did Arthur.

"WHAT?! O-oh….hello chap." The Brit answered after his heart restarted. "What is it?"

"Nana told me to come find you 'cuz it's lunchtime!" He announced. His blue orbs widened in confusion as his fingers grabbed a puzzle piece. "What's this?"

"It's called a jigsaw puzzle. You put the pieces together to form a picture." He pointed a colorful box. "See? I'm trying to make the puzzle look like that lighthouse."

Al's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand it. "Why?" he questioned as he fingered a piece.

Arthur sighed. "It's how you play. You make the puzzle pieces look like the picture."

"Why?" Came that famous one-word question. "Is that how you win?"

"Not everything is about winn-"

"I wanna try! I wanna win!" The tyke giggled as he reached for another piece. "Let me try! I wanna try!"

Mr. Arthur had to smile, though quickly seized the pieces from his hand. "All right, but this puzzle is a bit too hard for you."

"Awwww!" Al protested, whining.

"But….I think I might have a puzzle for you in my closet. Let's eat the lunch Nana made and then we can play puzzles afterwards, all right?"

"Okayyy…" Alfred sighed as he agreed reluctantly.

"Good. Now let's go see Nana."

~~~/\~~~

You placed Mattie in his high chair and had just started to fix plates when Arthur and Al entered. You blushed as your eyes locked with the Brit's, particularly pleased when he winked at you. "Would you help him into his seat?"

"Of course." Quickly he placed Alfred into the chair and tucked his napkin inside the tyke's shirt, then did the same for Mattie.

"K-Kueka?" The three-year old asked, holding up his friend.

Arthur paused, not knowing how to answer. "What is it Mattie?"

The boy pointed to his high chair and then back to his stuffed friend. "K-Keuda?"

"Ah. I'll see what I can do." Mr. Arthur located a chair for Kumajiro. "There, will that do?" His kind voice asked.

Al protested, fists pounding the table. "HEY! He has on my shirt!"

Arthur looked, and chuckled. "So he does. I was wondering where I had seen that SuperMan shirt. Well here Kuma, if you're going to eat at the table, you must act like one of us." His fingers diligently stuffed a napkin in the collar of the bear's shirt then grinned.

You sat down in your chair which was between the boys, laughing at Matthew's bear. "Let's pray then, shall we?"

Lowering your heads, you thanked God for the meal and began to eat. "Mhmmm…" Al hummed, munching on his grilled cheese.

Matthew divided his in half so Kuma could have some, and slowly ate his portion. You and Arthur ate your salads without complaint, for they were quite good. "Delicious_." He complimented, smiling lopsided at you.

You blushed as your heart beat faster. "Th-thank you." You stammered and diverted your eyes from his handsome face. "S-so how was your day?"

"Not terribly bad…I got some accounting done….not to mention some decluttering of my desk." He recollected.

"Ah. Well good. I cleaned their bedroom, and started working on mending your pants."

"I-I beg your p-pardon?!" Arthur spat out his tea, causing Alfred to laugh uproariously.

"I just haven't finished mending them….I-" you paused suddenly realizing why Mr. Arthur was so flustered. "O-oh I m-meant I was mending ….your um….trousers." Your face heated up even more as you tried not to giggle. _He thought I was mending his underwear! It completely slipped my mind that he calls his underwear "pants" and his pants "trousers"!_

"O-oh…" was his flustered reply. "J-just leave them on my bed…a-and I'll do it…"

"T-there's no need…I-I'll have it done by bedtime…" You sipped your tea anxiously, wondering how you could have ever made that mistake.

~~~/\~~~

Thankfully, after lunch, Alfred had completely forgotten about Mr. Arthur's puzzle, and went back to playing with his cars on the couch. "Vrrrrooooom…" He laughed light-heartedly, grin stretching from ear to ear. Matthew contained no interest in his brother, so he once again was watching a movie with Kuma, this time sucking his thumb instead of cheerios. He yawned and rubbed an eye, but still kept watching.

"Shh, be a little quieter, Alfred. Now," Arthur coughed, and seated himself back on the couch to continue his puzzle. "Where do you go little puzzle piece?" he mumbled to himself as his mouth tightened to a thin line, contemplating his next move.

You sighed, once again attempting to mend the pair of pants. You looked up at Arthur's face from across the room, smiling at how attractive his face was when he was focusing on something. _Does he know how handsome he is?_ You wondered.

The clock chimed, causing him to look up at it, then at you. When your eyes connected, you blushed and focused on your needlework, fingers diligently working.

The warm atmosphere of Kuma and his blanket persuaded Matthew to lie down. Although he tried to fight it, his eyelids kept drooping lower and lower, sleep being too strong of a force to fight. Quietly you scooped up the boy and held him to your chest as you watched Arthur and Alfred. "Hurry Al…it's almost naptime."

"Awww!" a car clattered to the floor. "B-but Nana!"

"Shhh! Don't wake your brother." You warned, walking to the stairs. "I'm going to put Mattie to bed, and then I'm coming back for you. Be ready."

~~~/\~~~

Content that Mattie was asleep, you strolled downstairs to find Alfred. "Al….Al come on out…It's naptime…." You called. "I knew this would happen…. Arthur? Have you seen Al?"

The Brit looked up from his jigsaw puzzle. "Yes, he's right-" His green eyes widened in alarm at the tyke's absence. "Alfred! Come here immediately!"

_Great…just great._ You thought as you looked in the closet. "Where is that child?!"

"I'm not sure." He spat through gritted teeth. "But he'd better appear or else…." He ducked his head underneath the couch for a moment, reappearing with nothing but dust bunnies to show for his effort.

"We'd better continue looking." You spat, irritation flooding your features like water gushing from a waterfall.

~~~/\~~~

It was two hours later and you still couldn't find the tyke. Sighing, you entered into walk-in coat closet, desperate for any signs of the boy. Although you would strangle Alfred immediately, you were worried that something might have happened. You and Arthur had a common rule when dealing with Alfred: If the house has been quiet for two minutes, Al was causing some mischief. Now, you'd be relieved if he was even capable of causing mischief. "Alfred where are you?!"

Arthur poked his head in above yours, placing a tender hand on your shoulder. "There there, I'm sure the chap's all right…he's probably playing hide and seek…or something."

You sighed, bending over to examine the various bags stuffed inside. While you were ruffling through them, Arthur walked inside with you, cleaning off the sweaters. Neither of you noticed the particularly devious grinning child from your positions. With a victorious cheer, Alfred pounced on the closet door, pushing it closed. His grubby fingers grabbed the lock and twisted it, securing you and Arthur as prisoner inside the closet. He ignored your pleas and commands, darting off towards the cookie jar to have some fun.

~~~/\~~~  
"I can't believe that little twerp locked us in here!" Arthur grumbled, holding his head in his hands. The darkness surrounded you, making sight a useless sense while intensifying the others. You were aware of movement and heat, and Arthur's voice stirred feelings that you had tried to keep hidden from him. As you sighed, you remembered something from a romance novel you had read: a romantic thing couples did called "Seven Minutes in Heaven". Apparently the idea was that the boy and girl were kept in a closet for seven minutes, in which they were to kiss and tell each other how they feel. Unfortunately, in the romance novel, the couple was interrupted by an eager friend, but since Al had locked you inside, you wouldn't be interrupted. Your hands went to your hair, fingering the soft strands and the bobby pins employed in maintaining its structure. No, this was your chance. Arthur must know.

Swallowing nervously, you whispered, "Arthur?"

"Hmm, _?" his voice answered.

"I…." you could feel your face heating up at the mere sound of him. "Arthur….I want to say….I…I l-love you."


	4. Chapter 4

You repeated, heartbeat quickening with each word that fell from your lips. "A-Arthur….I…I lo-love you." Heat rushed to your cheeks as you awaited his response. The mere seconds felt like an eternity as knots formed in your stomach, your heartbeat sounding more and more like a drum with each passing moment. Your hands shook, quivering with the tension that wracked your mind. Ever since you had admitted your feelings toward your master, you had been awaiting this moment for what seemed like all of eternity. You wanted to tell him, and on several occasions had actually started to confess, but something would interrupt the moment, leaving you with your untold burden. Sighing, you looked over to where you thought he was, waiting his response.

~~~/\~~~

"A-Arthur…..I…I lo-love you."

With those words, the Brit's eyes widened, mind travelling back to the past.

~_Flashback_~

_"Oh Arthur," she giggled, placing a hand on his chest. "I still can't believe that you'd ever let Francis get to you." With a seductive smirk, she kissed his cheek. "Let me get to you, hmm?"_

_The Brit blushed, one hand covering hers as the other cupped her waist. "N-now now….We can't have that…"_

_She pouted, reluctantly giving in as she leaned against his chest, staring at the sunset. They were at the park, enjoying a beautiful day together. Arthur smiled as her head connected with his chest, loving the feel of her: she was beautiful….lovely soft strands of hair, smooth skin, a fantastic smile….there was only one thing he disliked about her….but that wasn't important right now. She was together with him. He laid a soft kiss to her head as his hands cradled her small waist. "….I love you….know that?"  
She laughed, teasingly moving her hips into his waist. "I love you too."_

_~End of Flashback~_

She was everything. Arthur's mouth had a ghost of a smile as his mind travelled down Memory Lane…

_~Flashback~_

_"Arthur, you're so quiet…what's the matter?" She smiled, squeezing his hand. "I hope there's nothing wrong…" _

_"Hmm? Oh no love, everything is fine." His forest eyes softened as his mind came back to the present. "I…was just thinking…" Their bodies fit together like a puzzle as they lied outstretched on the grass, hands interwoven tightly. Her hair was wavering softly in the wind, eyes closed with happiness._

_"Oh? 'Bout what?" was her soft reply._

_"It's 'about' not 'bout', and I was just wondering….h-how do you feel about…..st-starting a family?" Arthur whispered._

_"A family?" her eyes opened. "I….are you sure?"_

_"Yes." He said firmly. "I want a family with you. A family that's perfect…one that fits us."_

_"Arthur, no family is perfect." _

_He nodded, fully aware of that fact. "Yes…but don't you think it's worth it love?" He situated himself so he leaned over her, lips inches from hers. "Don't you want one…with me?"_

_Her eyes closed, hands tugging down his tie. "You better believe it." Their mouths crashed together in a beautiful way, love flowing from Arthur's mouth to hers. He pulled back to gaze into the deep wells of her pupils, wondering if she felt the same way. "…..Love?"_

_"Hmm?" was her glazed response. _

_"Don't….do you feel the same way?"_

_She chuckled, fingering his face. "Oh you…Arthur, I'd love to be yours. But first, you'd have to make me yours." A suggestive eyebrow raised, as she giggled with mirth._

_~End of Flashback~_

Arthur sighed, hugging his knees to his chest. _She always was just into the action, not into me….until that one day…_

_~Flashback~_

_Arthur walked inside his apartment, body burdened with fatigue from a long tedious day. He and her were living together, and previously had adopted a small boy of two years old. The Brit smiled, wondering how the boy was. "Love? Are you home?" He heard a giggle, causing a faint smile to tug at his mouth. "Love? You sound happy." He opened the closet to hang up his jacket, then searched for the source of the giggles. He pushed open the door of the bedroom they shared…and stood dumbfounded as his girlfriend and Francis Bonnefy passionately kiss each other, hands flying everywhich way. He swallowed, anger rising. _

_~End of Flashback~_

Arthur had then taken the baby, named him Alfred and raised him as his own. Diligently he searched for a nurse, and found _ willing to do the job. Later he discovered that his ex became pregnant and had a sweet little boy. She stopped by one year later, carrying a small bundle of joy. She begged Arthur to take the baby, and out of his feelings for his ex, he adopted Matthew as his own, vowing to raise the child right. The pain from her betrayal was only five years old and still burned strong.

His eyes misted over as silent tears trickled down his face. He had truly loved her…she was the reason he kept going, she was the reason he kept loving, she was the reason he kept strong. Now…all that was left was Matthew, who lay sound asleep in his nursery, having no idea what sentimental feelings sprang up in Arthur's heart every time he spoke French. From that day forward, Arthur had forbidden anything French in his household, demanding that only English/British things be kept. The boys were the only thing that he had to live for now…..and although _ was attractive and perfect, he couldn't risk it. There was just no way. He would not endanger the lives of the boys; he could not endanger their hearts. It was his vow, his duty….to protect the boys. Protect Alfred and Matthew from harm's way as long as possible. He knew that one day they'd find girls of their own; pff they'd probably make the same mistakes he did, but for now…he could protect them. He would….or else die trying. Do or die.

"Arthur?" _'s voice brought him back to their current situation: prisoner to a closet. "Yes?"

~~~/\~~~

The blackness surrounded you, clouding your thinking. The minutes felt like time had stopped, leaving you wanting….like a power outage at the romantic peak of a movie. "Arthur?"

"Yes?"

You swallowed and jutted out your arm, searching desperately for a touch from him. You wanted to find him, to know that something was there inside this madhouse of a closet. "I…." You swallowed, finding his arm. "I love you…" you whispered, clutching to his hand. "I love seeing you play with the boys…I love watching you figure out something. I love seeing you every day with a large winning smile on your face, I love being with you….I know you probably don't love me back….and I can understand that, I think." Your whisper was slowly dying with each confessing word. "I….I know you still must hurt after what she did to you….and I'm sure that my crush isn't helping anything….but…it's not a crush…this is real. I…I feel it every time I see you, every wink, every blush, every smile, every touch….I feel it. Do you?"\

A stifling silence filled the room as Arthur comprehended your words. "_..."

"I…believe me, I know how it feels-"

"Oh you do?!" he spat, temperament changing completely. "You know what it's like to be connected to someone who only loved you because you could give her something?! And she didn't tell you until afterwards when she was in the act with another man?! Not just any other man, but my sworn enemy?! She discarded me for Francis, and left Alfred in my care. As if that weren't enough, one year later, she abandoned Matthew at my doorstep! You know what that is like?! I don't think so." He wretched his arm from your grip, hot angry tears streaming down his face. "You know nothing! You know absolutely nothing!"

His words pierced your heart, shutting your eyes as his words cut deeper than anything had before….well…that wasn't true. There was something….something that had hurt much…much worse. "I see…" you whispered. "In that case, please, let me leave so you don't have anyone else trying to understand." Your fingers fumbled, but successfully pulled out your bobby pin, and deftly fiddled with the lock.

The door was shoved open and you stood, walking into the light with your head hanging low. "Pl-please excuse me…..I have some work to do." Your lip and voice quivered with emotion. "I-Ill have your trousers mended soon. Good day, sir."

"_, wait please. I didn-"

"Good day, sir." You ran from the room, bumping into the walls because of your blurred vision.

~~~/\~~~

"N-Nana?" Al poked your cheek. "Y…you okay?" He felt something wet and sighed. Your face looked like it was in pain….and being a hero meant that he had to protect everyone….especially Nana. "N-Nana?!"

You opened your eyes, looking at the adorable face that was staring at yours. "Wh-what is it ba-baby?"

"N…N-Nana, why're ya crying?"

"O-oh…u-um….w-well….I…." you whispered, looking past Alfred's shoulder to see a tired Mattie clutching Kuma toddle in, looking for you. "H-hey baby…" You scooped up your boys and forced a smile. "I…I want you to sleep with me….okay?"

"Really?"

"O-oui?"

"Yeah….so let's go to bed…." You smiled sadly, unrestrained tears trickling onto your pillow.

The three of you shared your bed….Al's last thoughts were something about heroes, Mattie's about Kuma…and yours? You mouthed, "He hates me…." That was yours.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Arthur looked up from his fantasy novel to find you quietly cleaning out the fireplace, scrubbing all of the tools furiously to rid them from grime. His eyes winced with pain seeing you work. He hadn't spoken with you unless absolutely necessary for the past week, each day accumulating more guilt onto his already-burdened heart. The Brit had felt nothing short of horrible when he saw you leave the closet and had regretted every word he shouted at you. Over the past few days, he had tried everything to apologize, but you would exit the room unless he called you by name and commanded you stayed. Forcing was not in his general manners, and not even this situation could make him force you into listening. No, this needed to be handled differently.

You furiously scrubbed the tools, not even thinking about the man sitting behind you….all right, that was a lie. Every waking moment your mind drifted to him, particularly to his words….the way you could almost feel his glare from inside the closet….the way you had leaped outside, dashing away to the hall to your bed….the way Al and Mattie could tell you were hurting, and did everything they could think of to make you happy: bringing you flowers (which were more like weeds…) and inviting you to play games with them. Each time their sweetness brought a smile to your face, and you momentarily forgot about Mr. Arthur until he'd abruptly enter the room, or summon you to help him iron a shirt. Even now, you couldn't escape your master's gaze or presence…for it seemed like he was everywhere. At once.

"NANA!" Alfred sang, bursting into the room. "Nana! Come see what Mattie and I made you!" He grinned, tugging on your shirt. "Pleeease Nana? You'll love it! Pleeease?"

Forcing a smile, you allowed the vigorous lad lead you to the surprise. Alfred tugged you outside, where Matthew and Kuma were sitting beside two mudpies. Each mudpie was rather large and messy, but you could tell which boy did which pie. Matthew's had tiny fingerprints as well as a paw print, whereas Alfred's was sloppily thrown together, brimming with his love.

You pulled the boys into your chest, hugging them tightly. "Thank you sweethearts. I've always wanted a Hero mudpie and a Mattie mudpie." Kissing their heads, your grin grew as you saw Kuma needed another bath, as did the two kids. "Well, first let's get cleaned up. Bath time for everyone, even Kuma."

~~~/\~~~ You wearily sank onto the couch, clutching your stomach. The boys were asleep, and a fire was crackling inside the stone fireplace Arthur had built several years ago. You stared at the fire, feet in pain and heartbroken. With nothing else to occupy you, your mind travelled back to the argument in the closet, Arthur's words piercing your heart just as harshly as then. "Believe me Arthur…I know. I know what I'm talking about." You whispered, a lone tear streaking down your cheek.

_~Flashback~_

_"Good morning beautiful!" your boyfriend said, hugging you. You smiled and hugged him back, strangely liking this feeling of being wanted. "How are you?"_

_"I'm fine, just a bit tired from homework and life. How are you?"_

_"I love you…"_

_~End of Flashback_~

That's what he'd always say, all throughout your short three-month relationship. You had introduced him to your best friend, and somehow they had gotten each other's numbers all with your consent. He'd continue to say, "I love you" until one day while you were in school…

_~Flashback~_

_"Hey, _. He wants to talk to you." Your best friend said, holding up her phone. You gulped, mind racing as to what could he possibly want during school hours. Clutching her phone, you watched as his message unfolded: '_, you are an amazing girl, and I want you to be happy, but I'm sure you want me to be happy too, so I'm breaking up with you. You'll be okay. Bye."_

_And one hour later, asked your best friend to take your place as his. You would watch her shamelessly ramble on about him, from his eyes, to his body, to his hair, all while you silently forced a smile and nodded. "Oh really? That's interesting." You'd say everytime. "I'm sure….oh really? Lovely."_

_~End of Flashback~_

He left you for your best friend, leaving you feeling empty and confused. You had felt betrayed, angry even. At times you felt as if were your fault for letting them get too close…but you were too naïve. The thought of him falling for your friend never crossed your mind. He was your first boyfriend, the one whom you mainly blamed for everything that happened. Sighing, you curled into the comfy couch, trying not to cry. It seemed as if the world was falling apart, old memories reappearing, rejection by your master and even getting shouted at by him. "Life just can't get worse…can it?"

~~~/\~~~

Arthur clutched his cup of tea, walking into the living room to enjoy a good fire and perhaps a well-deserved nap. He paused mid-stride at seeing _ there, curled into a ball on his couch. He hated to interrupt her, but he knew he had to explain and apologize for his unexcusable behavior. The Brit continued in his walk but once again stopped at hearing _'s words. "Life just can't get worse….can it?"

What was she saying? Did….did he hurt her that badly? Did she hate him? Was she going to leave the children? Leave him? Leave Kirkland Manor? Biting his lip in anxiety, he stood still, mind trying to sort this mess out. If _ was leaving…that would mean that another nanny must be found immediately. Of course, _ would be expecting her pay, which would mean another trip to the bank. He'd make sure that she was settled, and vowed to allow the children to visit only once a year, perhaps on Christmas….or Easter. Swallowing, he decided to wait for _ to tell him. _I'll just act surprised and then sort it out then._ His knuckles whitened, tightening around the handle of the teacup as possibilities rambled through his mind. He laid down his teacup on the counter, turned out the light and stumbled into bed, terribly shaken. This was just what he feared. Now how was Kirkland Manor going to function?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

You groaned, not feeling well at all. You were lying on your bed, swamped with a fever and a terrible fit of diarrhea as well as occasional vomiting. Your whole body ached, burned, chilled, frozen to the bone. Nothing could keep you warm, not even your thickest blanket. Chills wracked your frail body as you weakly coughed, closing your eyes. "Uh…" you moaned, sighing. Your fists crumpled up the sheets, tightening with each second.

~~~/\~~~

"Hey Mr. Arthur, have you seen Nana?" Alfred asked, grinning as wide as possible. He and Mattie had made a surprise for Nana, but unfortunately he couldn't find her anywhere! He figured that Mr. Arthur might know, 'cuz Mr. Arthur knows everything! Excitedly he tugged on Mr. Arthur's sleeve, repeating his question.

The Brit released his sleeve and replied, "Hmm…I haven't seen her at all. Did you check everywhere? Sometimes she moves around a lot." Lovingly he tousled the tyke's hair. "Why? Why do you need Nana? Is there trouble running amuck upstairs? Don't tell me Kuma got trapped in the peanut butter jar again." His eyes twinkled with amusement, poking Al's chest.

"No, Mattie an me made somethin' for Nana! We hafta give it to her!" He whispered, eyes growing large and excited, like he was about to share a big secret. "It's a surprise! But I can't find Nana to give it to her!"

"Ah, I see." Arthur smiled. "Well, I tell you what. Why don't you go check on Matthew to make sure the 'surprise' is already, and I'll see if I can find Nana, all right?" His forest-green eye winked. "Where is the surprise?"

Alfred laughed, nodding eagerly at Arthur's plan. "Okay! It's in Mattie and me's room." Laughing, he sprinted upstairs to put his plan into action.

The Brit restrained the grammar correction of the tyke's sentence, and instead nodded, walking into the kitchen to find Nana. "_?" Hesitantly his footsteps walked around the house, searching for _. Where the devil could she be? Come to think of it…he hadn't heard anything all day: no pots and pans, no yelling, no ordering, not even a glimpse of you. Concern started to cloud his features as he stomped upstairs. "_?" He paused mid-stride, eyeing the corridor of the upstairs warily. "She's not with the boys….not in the bathroom, closet, or other rooms. "That leaves her room…" he whispered to himself.

Nervously, his quaking hand raised itself to knock, then halted. Should he knock? Wh-what if _ was…indisposed at the moment…? Coughing, he nervously knocked on the door. The weight of the knock pushed the unlocked door open, a small crack of light pouring into the room. Arthur cleared his throat, "_?"

Sharply he inhaled, eyes expanding immensely. "_!"

~~~/\~~~

A warm dark blackness held you at bay, hugging you tightly with its slippery fingers, squeezing life out of you. You gasped and coughed, the violence being too much for you. Your shaking forced your eyes open, gasping for air. Your body felt as if it was being burning alive, with icy chills to accompany it. "Uuummmf.." you moaned. A handsome face peered into yours, worry painted all over it. "_?" you heard it say, not fully aware of your surroundings. Suddenly you found an icy washcloth being pressed to your body, causing another round of groans to seep from your lips. "Ahhhh…go…go-good…"

"I'm so sorry, _. Just keep still and rest, I'll look after you. Don't worry about the-" Unfortunately, despite your protests to stay conscious, that's all you heard before the darkness consumed you once more.

~~~/\~~~

Arthur worriedly switched out the old cloth with a new one. The fever hadn't receded yet, but thankfully _ hadn't been retching herself like usual. His hand glided over her hair, smoothing the sweaty strands from her forehead. She had been unconscious on and off for a few hours, occasionally retching when she was awake. Grumbling at his stupidity, Arthur shouted at himself. _Why didn't I see any of the signs?!_ If anything would happen to _..._Now, now, don't start that again. She'll be fine, stop your childish worrying. Just be strong, she's going through a lot right now. That's an order, Arthur. _

"Right." He nodded solemnly.

"Mr. Arthur!" Alfred dashed inside, with a sleepy Matthew following, dragging his beloved Kumajiro. "Is Nana awake?! I wanna give her the surprise!" The excited boy had "patiently" waited all day to give Nana his surprise, but since she had gotten sick, had been refused an audience with Nana. "Pleeease?!"

While Arthur argued with Al, Mattie rubbed his eyes and tugged on Mr. Arthur's pant leg, wanting to be held. He didn't like Nana being so quiet this long….she hadn't left her room once, not even to come tuck them in for bed! He whimpered softly, tugging harder. Nana was scaring him, he just wanted her to be okay and for her to hug him, telling him it was okay. He loved Nana….he didn't want anything to happen to her.

"I'm here, chap." His strong arms carried Mattie into his lap, hugging him tightly. Alfred scrambled up into Arthur's lap too, looking at the silent girl who lay sleeping in the bed. "Mr. Arthur….will Nana wake up soon?"

"I'm….sure she will, lads. Nana's okay. Nana will be okay." He whispered comfortingly, arms enveloping tightly around the two boys. "Nana will be okay….she'll be allright. And when she wakes, you two can show her your surprise, okay?"

Two big fat tears splashed down onto Arthur's pants (pardon, trousers XD) unexpectedly. "Hmm?" Green eyes widened in alarm. He looked down to see tears flowing from Mattie's closed eyes. For once, he was at a loss for words. Nana…._ to be exact…what if she didn't wake up? What if she didn't live to see another day? What would happen then? Was he to play both roles like before?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Your eyes opened slowly, closing then opening several times, attempting to focus the room. "Uhhh." You moaned softly. Struggling, you fought your body's demand to stay lying down and sat up, leaning against the headboard. Your head throbbed, a vicious headache attacking your nerves. _O…ow….ahh…Ah… I made it. Good. Now…._ You thought, slowly putting your hands on your hips. The first thing your mind wandered to was the welfare of the boys. Of course, you meant this in the kindest possible way, but Arthur was not the best at cooking….One might say he was culinary artistically challenged. "Arthur.." You mumbled, the episode in the closet washing over you, reminding you of the pain his harsh words had caused.

"N-Nana?!" A small voice squeaked. You slowly turned your head to see a panic-stricken Alfred, wiping his tear-stained cheeks. His wet blue eyes were wide with relief and happiness, his little mouth puckered into an adorable "O". "N-Nana?"

You flashed a tired smile and held out your arms. "Hi sweetheart, d-did you miss me?"

Al dove into your arms, fresh tears springing to his eyes. "NANA!" he whimpered, tackling your chest. You received him gladly, squeezing him lovingly. As you hugged him tighter, your own eyes moistened, not fully realizing how much you missed the toddler until now. You planted a loving kiss into the soft dirty-blonde strands, smiling. "I missed you too Al." you whispered comfortingly into his ear.

"I-I missed you too Na-Nana." His arms hugged you as tightly as they possibly could, burying his face into your chest. "I-I thought you were go-gone…"

"I know sweetie." Your hushed voice replied. "But I'm here, I'm right here with my favoritest hero ever: Alfred, my hero."

His blue eyes lit up at your words, pleased to be _Nana's_ hero. "Okay Nana! Imma be your hero!" He grinned, hugging you tighter.

Loud thunderous footsteps raced up the stairs, turning to enter your bedroom. "_?!" Arthur's voice said. The Brit burst into the room, breathing heavily from his vigorous sprint. "_?" He had been in the middle of trying to cook supper and teaching Mattie some English words, but was interrupted mid-lesson by Alfred screaming your name. Hastily he had grabbed Matthew and darted upstairs. Now, the lad squirmed from Arthur's hold, wanting down to go see Nana. Arthur lowered him down slowly, eyes glazed over as if in a daze. _ was finally awake? Yes, thank God she was! Swallowing, he sighed in relief as he watched you scoop up Matthew. "I-I'm glad you're-"

"Hey Nana! Wanna see the surprise Mattie an me made for you?" Al asked, furiously tugging on your shirt.

You chuckled. "All right, but how about tomorrow? I still need a lot of rest. Al, why don't you help Mr. Arthur prepare supper, hmm?"

Arthur's face flushed slightly, not too pleased with his sentence being cut off. "I…very well. Let's go Alfred."

Mr. Arthur held out his hand which Alfred took. "Bye Nana!" He called as he was being led downstairs, waving.

You smiled and looked at the three year-old who was currently snuggled into your arms, eyes closed with contentment, thumb in his mouth. You tucked him in, making sure he was warm and comfortable. Quietly you shut your eyes, fingers gently weaving through the smaller boy's hair, wrapping themselves around the soft strands. "I love you Matthew. Je t'aime."

A smile peeped from the corners of his mouth at hearing you say "I love you" in his native French. Yawning, the lad snuggled closer to you, glad to finally be held.

~~~/\~~~

"_, do you think that you could eat some eggs? I scrambled them, just the way you like it." Arthur held up a plate filled with steaming food. "Here you are."

You pasted a smile, accepting the grub. "Thank you…" Coughing, you hobbled to a chair and slowly sank into it. "They um….smell good….where are the boys?"

"Oh, they're still asleep, exhausted from yesterday's activities. We played a quick game of catch in the front yard, and I'm afraid that wiped them out." He chuckled, scooping a pile of food onto his plate. He scooped silverware from the drawer, and passed a set to you, immediately beginning to eat. "Mhmmm…." He grinned.

You swallowed nervously, fully aware of his…um…lack of talent in the skill of cooking. Warily you eyed his concoction, seeking a way to discreetly dispose of it. Maybe by distraction? "Arthur," you cleared your throat, fingers slowly pushing the plate away from you. "I um…h-how did you manage while I was sick?"

The Brit looked up from his food, an attractive red tinting his cheeks. "Ah well…the boys and I managed. We um…I know the house isn't perfect, but we tried our best."

Your eyes took a sudden interest in the table as you mumbled, "Thank you." Standing, you hurriedly discarded the eggs and turned to face him. An awkward silence had settled in the room, and neither of you knew how exactly to break it.

"Um…well…I-I'll go check on the boys. It's time for their baths anyway…." You glanced at him, desiring a romantic response, no matter how impossible.

"Ah well…y-yes….you can do that…" he mumbled, standing also. "D-don't worry about the dishes…I'll take care of them for you." He pasted on a fake smile, and quickly rotated so you couldn't remark about it. "J-Just go on."

You nodded, obeying his instructions. "Why….?!"

Arthur, though inaudible to your question, also asked, "Why?!"

~~~/\~~~

"Hey Nana! Don't do that, it tickles!" Al laughed, squirming away from your hand clutching the soap.

"Al, stop wiggling! Hold still! I have to wash your feet!" You ordered, chuckling at his complaints. Matthew hummed quietly to himself, playing with the untouched bubbles, sculpting them into a bear….or trying to. He giggled and blew on one, which floated and popped, amusing the child even more.

"Nana! OW!" Al protested, splashing water everywhere. "Don't wash there! My ears don't like to be washed!"

You laughed and held his arms. "No more wriggling! Hold still and your ears wouldn't get washed!" You skillfully swept your bangs from your eyes, trying not to get soap into your hair. "Just hold still!"

~~~/\~~~

Soon you had them toweled up, and changing into their pajamas. Wearily, you crawled downstairs to revive yourself with a delicious cup of tea. "Ah…." Smiling in pure bliss, you walked into the living room, ready to prop up your feet and relax.

You heard a British-accented voice mumbling, and halted, ears straining to catch the words. "I'll…I'll have to put an ad in the paper and see what turns up. She'll be leaving soon….I don't understand why the devil-"

Realization shook your body, your hands shaking. Airflow paused in its cycle around your respiratory system leaving you gasping for breath. You barely had enough sense to set the teacup down before dashing upstairs, bumping into walls again because of your blurry vision. "He…he hates me." You whimpered, clutching the nearest thing to your chest, desperate for _someone_ to understand. Years of your life had been poured into serving Arthur Kirkland, taking care of the tykes, cleaning his house, making sure he was always prepared, spending sleepless nights helping him with his work, and this was your reward?!

"Now now, be fair…" You rebuked yourself, plopping onto your bed. You had willingly helped Arthur out; in fact, you had begged him to allow your assistance. You remembered when you had first cast your eyes onto his handsome face….

_~Flashback~_

_"Hello?" You called, knocking on the small apartment door. You had just answered an advertisement from a man name Arthur Kirkland for a maid position. Gratefully he had requested an audience with you, and that's why you were here, knocking on his door. "Mr. Kirkland? It's _, I'm here for the interview?"_

_The door creaked as it opened, revealing a tall man with shaggy blonde hair, sweet green eyes clouded by depression, wearing a modest attire. He looked defeated, and even tired. Your heart went out to him, wanting that expression to fade away. A shrill cry pierced your ears, causing you to wince. "M-May I come in?"_

_He nodded, stepping aside. "Yes please. I'm terribly sorry, it's just been a bit hectic around here. Please, come in. Can I get you something to drink?"_

_You politely accepted. "Some tea would be lovely." As Mr. Kirkland left, the cry from before prodded at your heart, demanding that the sob be satisfied. Scanning your eyes around the room, you spotted a small baby boy wailing on a blue blanket spread across the floor. "Aww…..shh sweetheart." You scooped up the screaming child and held him to your chest, bouncing him slightly while strolling around the room. "It's all right, sweetie, don't cry. Shhh…" _

_Arthur put in a teabag and walked into the living room, sighing in relief to see the baby hushed and quiet. You looked so natural with him…perhaps it was because you were a girl… "Ms. _ _ was it? I see Alfred's taken a liking to you."_

_You smiled, nodding. "Yes, oh I'm sorry, but he was crying. He just needed someone to listen, right?" You cooed, stroking the boy's cheek. He gurgled, blushing from your attention. His fists curled around your shirt, which he promptly let his mouth cover it. _

_"Oh, I'm sorry! Here, let me take him!" Arthur offered, mentally slapping himself._ There goes another prospect_, he thought. "Please, let me take him off of your hands."_

_"What? I wouldn't dream of it. It's fine, babies do that all the time." You flashed him a comforting smile and seated yourself onto the couch. "He's quite adorable. How old?"_

_"Oh, didn't I say in the advertisement? He's a year old, and one of the loudest babies you've probably ever met." Arthur plopped into a chair as he rubbed his temples. "He's quite the handful."_

_"What? This cute bundle of joy? Never." You chuckled, kissing the side of Alfred's head. "Quite a strong name for him."_

_"Thank you, I picked it." He cleared his throat and began the business talk. "Now, I wouldn't be able to pay you until I secured a house and a job, but I will pay you. Your duties would be taking care of Alfred, myself, the house, and perhaps even assisting me with my work if I so requested. You would be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the house as it needed. I suppose you'd have to live with us, and I would reimburse you of course, once I secure a job." He solemly said, gazing at you._

_You nodded. "I fully understand. Reimbursement isn't necessary; I can take care of myself. Thank you though. When do I start?"_

_He was a bit taken back by your immediate acceptance, but nodded. "Very well. Ah…it should be within a week. I'm grateful for your acceptance." A sigh of relief escaped his lips, as he reclined more easily into the chair._

_You smiled and stroked Alfred's head, marveling at the small wisps of hair that adorned the boy. "Forgive me for being rude, but would you like me to watch him while you job hunt? It would help you and help us get to know each other." You offered, smiling. Alfred's blue eyes shut as he squealed again, bouncing himself slightly. You laughed and looked back at your employer. "Please?"_

_To be honest, a break from Alfred would be tremendous. The plan seemed flawless. "Very well. Let me pack his diaper bag, and you can go. Come with me." He motioned with his hand. "This way."_

_You followed him, admiring the décor of the small apartment. It was quite lovely, though a bit cramped for you, but that's because you didn't live with anyone else. You were led into a room with bright blue walls, thousands of stuffed animals, and a red, white, and blue cradle. "Awww." You whispered, holding Alfred tighter._

_"Here is his bag….and um…here….I think is the diapers.." Arthur sighed, searching for the diapers. "I don't know where she put them…"_

_"She?" You asked, innocently prying. "Pardon my ignorance. Are you married?"_

_The Brit mumbled something unintelligible, prompting you to just nod and apologize for your questions. "Ah, is this what you're looking for?" you pointed to a bag filled with diapers._

_"Yes. Thank you." Your employer filled the diaper bag with hundreds of diapers and other necessities, shoving it into your arms. You traded it for Alfred, letting Arthur say goodbye to his precious boy. "We'll be more than careful, won't we sweetheart? Goodbye, Mr. Arthur. Thank you."_

_"Good bye. I'll call you when I get everything settled. And if you run out of supplies, call me and I'll give you some more."_

_"Okay! Good bye!"_

_~End of Flashback~_

You sighed, remembering what had happened a year later too.

_~Flashback~_

_"Apparently a distant relative left this house to me, though I cannot fathom why. I had never even heard of him." Arthur explained, showing you the plans of the house. "It's not too big, which would mean you'd not have to clean as much, but it's spacious enough for all of your belongings as well as mine, and plenty of room for Alfred to grow up in. How does it sound?"_

_Your fingers grazed over the plans, a small smile spreading across your cheeks. "It sounds perfect. When would you like to settle inside?"_

_"Well-" A knock interrupted his sentence. Arthur frowned, wondering who that could be. He stood and walked over to the door of his apartment. "Yes, who is it?" He asked opening the heavy door. You rocked Alfred who was currently sleeping in your embrace, his tiny mouth open and hands clutching your fingers. He was almost two years old, in fact, would turn two within four days, and already you lamented the time that had flown by. His hair was slowly growing, but his personality had taken full bloom: always happy and excited, never quiet unless he wasn't feeling well. _

_You heard Arthur stammer furiously as he addressed the person standing at the door. Who could make him stutter like that? You wondered. You heard the Brit gasp softly, and from the look of it, was holding something in his arms. "Very well…good…bye." You heard him say._

_After hearing the soft click of the door, you watched Arthur walk in carrying a bundle of blankets in his arms, his face bearing a grim, solemn expression. "Mr. Arthur? Who was at the door?"_

_"Ah…sh-she's not important right now." He swallowed, realizing that the fate of his two boys rested in your decision. "Ms. _, it would seem that I have adopted a boy: a small lad, about a year younger than Alfred. I understand if you'd want to leave, seeing as how two boys can be quite difficult. I don't blame you, actually, if you do." He slowly sat on the couch, trying not to wake the sleeping boy in his arms._

_"Oh, he's adorable!" you cooed sweetly, stretching a finger to pet his sweet head. "He looks…like a Matthew…don't you think?"_

_"Matthew?" Arthur replied, completely surprised by your ignoring his question. "Ah…I suppose…"_

_"And Matthew's a proper British name, it fits!" You smiled, falling in love with the sleeping baby already. "He's going to need a nursery…preferably by my room so I can take care of him. How about here?" You asked, pointing to a room._

_"You…you're going to stay?" He nearly dropped Matthew. "Are you sure?"_

_"Yes! I'd love to." Kissing Alfred's cheek, you grinned. "Let's get to work!"_

_~End of Flashback~_

You wiped your eyes with the soft pillowcase which decorated your pillow, completely wasted by the day's events. "How could he give me up after all of that?!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

"Hey, Nana!" Alfred sang mischievously, waltzing into the living room. The four-year old's hands were hiding behind his back, mysteriously shaking with excitement. He knew you'd love the surprise he had in store! His signature cheesy grin was spreading wider with each passing moment, eager to show you his "surprise".

You glanced up from your labor on Mr. Arthur's pants, fingers delicately holding the needle and the thread. "Hello, Al. Whatcha got?" You flashed him a smile. From his perch on your lap, Matthew frowned, not pleased by his brother stealing your attention. Once you had been able to walk, the shy lad had followed you everywhere. The reason for his constant company was simple: he was scared. While you were sick, Matthew had stayed with Arthur: afraid you had died and weren't coming back. Ever. Now that you were awake and mobile, he wanted you to hug him and comfort him, promising never to leave him again, but since you hadn't done this, he decided to follow you around just to make sure you wouldn't abruptly leave him. He wanted you to always be with him, forever, loving him just as much (definitely more) than you loved anyone else. Every time you'd sit down, he'd scramble up into your lap, desperate for the love he often was showered with. His lower lip extended an inch as he pouted; burrowing his face into your side, as if to remind you that he was still there too.

"A surprise Nana!" The toddler cheekily grinned, waiting for you to ask what it was.

You smiled at his hyper attitude. "Oh Al! That reminds me, it's someone's birthday in six days, and another little boy's birthday in two days." You laid down Arthur's pants on the floor, and held open your arms for Alfred to climb into your lap. Matthew frowned more, two tears slipping down his cheeks as his brother stuffed the surprise in his pockets and scrambled into your lap. "Now," you said smiling. "What would my two boys like for their birthday parties?"

Alfred leaned back, head resting against your chest as he thought about specific fun he'd like to have at his birthday party. You kissed his head and looked at Mattie. "What type of cake do you want, sweetheart?"

"Mapl-"

"CHOCOLATE!" Alfred screamed hysterically, interrupting his brother's words. "With lotsa frosting Nana! And I want toys on it!" He grinned, looking up at you with anticipation.

"Chocolate? With lots of frosting…hmm I think I can do that. What would you like for your birthday?" you replied cheerfully, kissing his head. While Alfred thought about it, you leaned down, looking at Matthew. "Maple sweetheart? Are you sure?"

The shy lad nodded, burrowing his face in your side more: although he was glad you heard him, he still wasn't too pleased at Alfred stealing all of your attention…

"I want a superhero costume Nana!" Your almost five-year old cheered, springing from your lap.

"You do? Okay." As much as you hated to say it, you knew it must be done. "Well, why don't you go tell Mr. Arthur, and ask him if he'd come talk to me, okay?"

"Okay Nana!" He sang, not noticing your obvious reluctance to talk to him. He continued sprinting downstairs to go find Mr. Arthur. You turned your attention to Matthew, shoving any thoughts of Arthur out of your mind as you started petting his head. "Lemme see you silly. Come out from under there."

He bit his lip and scooted away from you, looking into your loving face. You sighed at his tear-stained cheeks and pulled him into a tight, loving embrace. "Matthew…." You whispered, running your fingers through his light blonde hair. "Sweetheart…you have no reason to cry. Don't cry, baby…Nana's here…_Je t'aime_ Matthew…"

He sniffled and wiped his eyes (and his nose XD) on your blouse, wanting you to hold him until doomsday came. Your soothing words filled him from head to toe, silencing his whimpers and sniffles. His blue eyes shut tightly as your hand softly glided through his hair and up and down his back. Hesitantly, he gave in to your murmurings and snuggled closer in your embrace, pausing from his earlier sobbing.

You kissed his head gently, stroking him as you slowly rocked back and forth in an attempt to make him sleep. Once more, footsteps crunched the hallway as they came closer and closer to you. You glanced up before returning to the drowsy Matthew. _Great, here comes the heart-wrecker._ You pasted on a smile as he entered the living room.

"_? Alfred-" Arthur's forest green eyes widened slightly at the silent boy sleeping in your arms. "Is he asleep?" He questioned quietly, walking towards you to stroke his boy's head.

"No, but he's almost asleep." You whispered, turning your venomous eyes back towards your drowsy baby. "He was jealous of his brother….poor baby."

"Jealous?" The Brit questioned in hushed tones, fingers never lifting from Matthew's head. "Jealous of what?"

"Well, believe it or not, I think he just wanted to be held …" A ghost of a smile played at your lips, eyes gazing at your now sleeping baby. It was so difficult to believe that he was turning three. _Time to get down to business._ _Let's end this as quickly as possible_. You thought, looking up. "Oh, Arthur, I need to talk to you. You do realize that tomorrow is Mattie's birthday, and then three days later is Al's."

"Yes, don't remind me." He exhaled loudly. "I can't fathom how they've grown up so quickly…" With the utmost caution, he dislodged Matthew from your arms and cradled the sleeping toddler close to his chest. He blinked several times, as if trying to shove away something unpleasant, and even shook his head a little. "No…not today…Let me put this one to his bed, and we can discuss party matters, hmm?"

"No!" Your hand jerked out, grabbing his arm before you could realize what was happening."No, just leave him here…on the couch….we can talk in here. I think it would scare him to death if he woke up and we weren't in the room. No, just leave him here." _Why did you even touch him you idiot?! Arthur doesn't care about you! He's throwing you out probably after Alfred's birthday! Stop it!_ Your eyes softened as you gazed at the sleeping boy in Arthur's arms. _How could me make me give them up? I…I'm really going to miss them…_ You could feel moisture clouding your vision as you snapped your head downwards, stifling any tears from shining.

"Very well." Arthur laid the snoozing tyke on the couch and covered him with a blanket, softly kissing his head lovingly. "Now," he cleared his throat, sitting on the floor beside you, "What did you have in mind? Have you spoken to the boys about it yet?" He noticed your head dipped and asked, "_? Are you allright?"

You almost got whiplash from how fast your head popped back up. "Yes. Matthew wants a maple cake, though I'm not entirely sure how to make that….but I'll find a way, don't worry. He hasn't said what he wants, but I'm positive we can figure something out. Alfred, on the other hand, wants a superhero costume for his birthday and a chocolate cake with lots of frosting. I think that's possible, don't you?"

"Yes, quite possible." He flashed a smile, "Do you think we should invite any other children over?" Arthur leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I don't think it would affect Matthew…though Alfred is a different story…"

"Who would you invite?" You questioned, resting your back on the couch. The idea of little party friends joining the festivities intrigued you. "Who would come?"

His large eyebrows knit together as he thought about it, dismissing names as soon as they popped up. "Not Francis…." He muttered spitefully. "Or….her… perhaps Antonio would bring his little child over…I forget his name…"

You made a mental note to ask who "Her" was later. "It's an Italian name isn't it? I remember Antonio telling me that he had adopted the boy's littler brother, Feliciano, so make that two children. Are you going to invite Antonio, Feliciano, and Lovino?"

"….Well, at least he's better than France…" He mumbled, reluctantly nodding. "I suppose…."

"How about Antonio's friend Gilbirt? I think he has a smaller brother….Ludwig? Is that his name?"

"Yes, though Gilbirt isn't the best influence on people…" Arthur objected.

You barely refrained an irritated eye roll. "He's not going to play with Mattie. He'll probably go annoy Antonio. They're friends after all."

"….I suppose…though I don't like the thought of him being there…" He mumbled, raking a hand through his shaggy blonde locks.

"What about your Asian friend, Yao? He has a little boy, Kiku I believe. He's quiet as well, as is Ludwig and Feliciano…though I'm not too sure about Lovino…"

"Fine, and that's the last one we are having. That will do certainly for Matthew's guest list. Now, we'll need refreshments, the cake which you'll make of course, the numbers, and possibly decorations…? Am I missing anything?"

"Hmm…well, besides small party favors, I don't believe so. Do you think we need any games? Or is that too much work?" You questioned, brows furrowing with all of the mental exercise.

Arthur stretched, sitting upright as he considered it. "Perhaps one game…though nor more than three. It's too strenuous to play a game with three or four toddlers. It will be even worse at Alfred's party…" He spat, sighing.

"I suppose. Well, we can finish the details while I make supper…" You stood, leaning over to kiss the sleeping boy on the couch. "I want you to have the best , Matthew." Once Arthur had left, you added, "Even if it means going through Hell to get there."

~~~/\~~~

"When will the guests arrived?!" Arthur snapped, pacing in the kitchen out of nervousness. "I told them at noon! Noon precisely! And it's quarter till! Where are they?!"

You entered, reaching for the punch bowl. "Calm down, I'm sure they'll be here." You stirred some ice cream in the punch, trying to get it to dissolve quickly. _Just try to relax and have a good time. It's for Matthew, it's all for your baby. Just try to get along and think of Matthew._ _"_Speaking of guests, where are the birthday boy and his brother? They've been quiet for a good five minutes, something must be up."

He nodded, ascending the stairs to discover the unusually silent boys. "Alfred? Matthew? Where are you boys? The party's going to start in a few minutes! Come out here! Where are you?" He could hear Alfred laughing and hastened his steps. "Alfred?!" He pushed the door open, eyes ablaze with disapproval. "What are you doing? Where's your brother? What have you got in that box?!"

"My surprise!" He chortled. "Nana said I have to give Mattie a present, so I got him a surprise!" On the small table behind Alfred sat a small white box with a string for a ribbon and a note that was addressed to a "Matteey, From Alfraid."

A smile tugged at the Brit's lips as he fingered the note. "I think Matthew will like it. Speaking of Matthew, where is he?"

~~~/\~~~

The doorbell rang which you half-heartedly answered. "Ah, hello Antonio! Welcome." You faked a smile, ushering him inside. "Where are your children?"

The attractive man flashed a white toothy grin that contrasted with his golden skin. In his arms were two boys, one squirming which you figured was Lovino, and the other happily smiling, occasionally "Ve~"-ing. "_Gracias!_ Okay, Lovi and Feli, you play nice, _si_?" He set down the two boys and kissed your cheek. "How are your boys?"

You blushed slightly at his touch, a large smile growing on your face. Although you hardly knew this man, you welcomed his romantic manners. It…it felt nice to know that _someone_ thought of you as beautiful…._Stupid Arthur_. "Well, can I get you anything? A glass of punch? Water? Lemonade?"

"Sure, I'll take a glass of punch, it sounds good." Antonio smiled warmly. You nodded and led him towards the kitchen, making conversation as Arthur strolled down the stairs. "_? Have you seen Matthew?" He entered the kitchen, a slight look of resentment at seeing the Spaniard so close to you, fingers brushing yours as he received the refreshments you had poured for him.

You looked away from the Spaniard's emerald gaze to the British man's smoldering glare. You had half a mind to glare back as you held out Antonio's glass. "Here you go. No…I haven't seen Matthew in a while…Perhaps he's outside?"

Arthur eyed Antonio as he replied to you, "You go check. I'll finish stirring the punch."

Trying not to spat back vile things, you obliged, peeking your head outside. "Mattie? Sweetheart? Are you there?" You saw him playing in the grass, surrounded by the Italian boys. Kuma was there too, even Alfred was there. By the looks of it, someone else was there, though the glare of the sun prevented you from seeing whom. "Hello guys!" You called, bending over to kiss the birthday boy's head. "What are you playing sweetheart?"

Feliciano grinned and waddled over to you, demanding to be held. Not to be outdone, Matthew clung to your leg, whimpering for attention. Lovino was….poking a clump of flowers while Alfred laughed loudly. "I'mma hero, Nana! See?!" He twirled around, the blanket that was attached to his clothes by clothespins flapping in the breeze.

"I see!" You smiled, leaning down to pick up Feli and soothe the jealous Mattie. "Come here birthday boy." Leaning down, you scooped him up and held both boys tightly, forcing earlier thoughts out of your head. You shut your eyes as the warm breeze rolled through the backyard. You heard a shriek and opened your eyes to find two lusty blue ones not too far away from your own. "AGHHHH!" You shrieked, feet flying backwards as quickly as you could make them.

"Ohonhonhon! I'm so sorry, I did not mean to spook you, _mon Cherie_. Forgive me. Let me help you back into the house, _oui_?" A man with medium-height, shoulder length blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a striking stubble on his chin winked flirtatiously as he moved closer. "Do not be afraid, I am here to help." The last thing you saw was his mouth as it crashed on yours. You squealed, face redder than the strawberries you loved so much. You felt a warm muscle slid in your open mouth, painting your face even a darker red as it moved of its own accord, exploring the new territory. When your system came out from shock, you pulled away, stomping on his foot. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Arthur dashed outside, face twisted in anger and horror. "GET OFF OF HER!"

"HEY! YOU STOP KISSIN' MY NANA!" Al yelled, kicking the Frenchman's shins. "TAKE THAT YOU RUDE FROGGIE!"

"LE OWW!" Francis howled, releasing his hot tongue from your mouth as his hands left your thighs and down to his own. "Stop that! Arthur, control your children!"

"MY CHILDREN?!" Arthur hissed. "That little twerp in her arms is yours! You're the one who slept with her while she was supposed to be in love with me!"

Antonio walked forward, stealing a screaming Feliciano from your grasp. Matthew sobbed, spooked by the flirtatious man's advances and screeches. You swallowed, wrapping your arms around your baby tightly as Alfred continued his Hero Tirade by kicking Francis's shins. Arthur growled, crossing his arms. "What are you doing here?!"

"Alfred! Come here baby." You called out, not wanting him to get hurt. Your eyes did not leave France's face, hatred leaving for Arthur and all of a sudden filling your mind when you looked at the Frenchman.

"You okay Nana?! The mean Mr. Froggie didn't hurt you too bad did he?" Al hugged your legs

"No, I'm not sweetheart. You make the best hero I've ever seen. Thank you, Al." Squeezing your two boys tightly to your chest, you shut your eyes, the true terror and surprise of the moment flooding your nerves. Two tears rode down your cheeks as you squeezed the boys tighter. You shut out everything, even Arthur's and Francis's bickering.

"Kesesese~ Toni! Francis! Looks like I made it in time!" Gilbirt grinned, his silver hair catching the sun's rays perfectly. A smaller boy, about five or six, glared at his older brother and silently watched the festivities.

"Oh Gilbirt! You're here! _Esta bien!_ Let's have cake!" Antonio cheered, throwing Feliciano in the air in an attempt to cheer him up. It worked instantly as a happy "VEEEE~" left his lips. A cranky Lovino crawled over to Spain, wanting to go inside for food. You swallowed, blushing profusely as you shooed everyone inside but Francis and Arthur. It didn't look like they'd be silent any time soon. You felt terribly guilty and deathly curious as you watched the two blondes shout insults at each other, fists raised, ready to fire off blows. Arthur had never told you why he was so uptight with anything French…come to think about it….he always did flinch whenever Matthew spoke French….Why was that? And where did Matthew learn French?! You never did learn who dropped Matthew into Arthur's arms that one night….or…anything. What was Arthur hiding from you?

~~~/\~~~

After seeing _ retreat into the house, he eyed the intruder harshly. "What are you doing here?! You have no right to be here after what you did to Matthew! And to…her…Or what you did _with_ her! Tell me, did it feel good?! Did it finally feel good to have your revenge? After twenty years, does it finally make you feel better? Does it make you feel better to know that you have destroyed my life?! Why are you here?! I will not allow you to destroy your MISTAKE's birthday. So, if you have no business here, I suggest you leave. Now." He spun around on his heels and walked into the house with Francis right behind him.

"Arthur, there is something-"

"Save it Frog! Get out of my house!"

"Non!" Francis grabbed Arthur's shoulder and forced the other man to face him. "It….Just let me come for his birthday. That's all I ask. Let me come and stay." His blue eyes pleaded desperately with the angry man, begging to at least see the boy he helped create. "Please."

Not even Arthur in all of his rage could refuse such a sincere pleading look. With a grumble, he nodded and stomped towards the house.

~~~/\~~~

Matthew's birthday party was in full swing by the time Arthur and the unwelcome Frenchman walked inside the house. "_, might I have a glass of water? And some aspirin?" Arthur requested, not noticing your dry expression at hearing his voice.

You looked up from your work on Matthew's birthday cake, raising from your hunched position. "Let me serve Alfred his piece of cake. Here sweetie." You handed a plate of ice cream and a slice of cake in front of the hyper toddler and wiped your hands on a nearby napkin. You walked into the kitchen without another word.

"And make sure to walk loudly so I can hear you." His British voice called after you, mumbling, "That Frog better not get her."

You squirmed out of his grasp and in a dazed mindset, wandered into the kitchen. "What has gotten into him?" You whispered as you strained into the cabinet for the medicine.

"Who, Arthur? Do not worry your pretty head over him, _mon Cherie_, he is just stressed. Sexual tension you know." A French voice replied softly.

You whirled around to see France drinking from a bottle of wine he had discovered as he leaned against the wall. You swallowed your scream, fists curling tightly. "What…are…you…..doing here?" you gasped out, trying to breathe.

"Oh, Antonio said there was wine in here, so I wanted some. What is wrong? Are you all right? Speak to-" Francis began until a hand covered his mouth. A stinging sensation caused his cheeks to flare into a red color. Your handprint was left on his face. "I hate you…..but…I need to talk to you."

"LE-" He began but you interrupted him, covering his mouth with your hand.

"Shh! I don't want Arthur to hear us." You explained, sending him a pleading look. "I have a few questions to ask you, and Arthur would just interrupt and never let me hear the story. Please….would you answer them?"

The Frenchman stared into your eyes, captivated by the warm pools that were there. He was lost in the beauty of them and nodded solemnly, forgetting his usual flirtatious manners. "Very well. But, I do not think we can talk in here. Arthur will be wondering where you are. We need to set a time and a place."

You paused, meditating on his words as you let go of his mouth and peeked your head into the living room. Arthur was cleaning a mess Alfred had made, and looked like he wasn't going to be free anytime soon. Quickly you fished out an aspirin for the tired Brit and looked at Francis. "All right...but…can you answer this? Did…..did you have anything to do with Mattie?" You whispered, glancing back at him.

"Oui. Mattie is….my son."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Oui…Mattie is my son."

Those five words pierced your heart, widening your orbs. Somehow that….that simple confession shocked you: shell-shocked your entire nervous system. Your brain fumbled for a reply, but all you could do was gawk at the man. "Y…y…you," you finally managed, "Y-You're his father?!"

"Shhh…not so loud, _mon Cherie_." The Frenchman chided. "You don't want Arthur to hear you." He cut off your stammering by continuing, "Oui….Matthew is my son."

"_!" Arthur called from inside the living room. No doubt a spilled drink or some accident had happened. You grimaced, replying "Coming!"

"Do not be upset at him, _mademoiselle._ I…I will be leaving town in three days. Here-" He snatched a pen from the countertop and grabbed your thumb, writing his number on there. "Call me. We will talk."

"_!"

"I'm coming, Arthur!" You huffed, mouthing a thank you to the Frenchman. "Until we meet again." You smiled and left to please your master's pleas.

~~~/\~~~~

You rocked the sleeping Matthew nestled in your arms, marveling at how adorable the now three year old was. Your slender fingers stroked his sleeping head as you slowly rocked back and forth. "I hope you had a good birthday, Mattie. It….I'm glad you got to have it." You lovingly grazed your lips against the sleeping toddler's head and sighed, glancing around the room. There remained one present on the table that Mattie hadn't opened yet, the one from Alfred.

You smiled and continued your soothing motions, thinking only about the Frenchman's confession. _How is it possible that he's Matthew's father? Then…who is his mother? Who does this sweetheart really belong to?_

Raising your thumb, you squinted at the numbers inscribed on it, forcing them to memory. "I'll call him tomorrow…" you murmured softly, returning your gaze to your sleeping child. "I'll find out the truth."

~~~/\~~~

The next day, Alfred bounced into his bedroom where his brother was playing with a set of blocks. Matthew had just managed to finish stacking them in a straight column before his brother skidded to a halt in front of him, almost knocking it down. "You didn't open my surprise, Mattie!"

The younger brother's eyes widened slightly, mouth puckered in a "O" from surprise. "S…Surp-prise?" He whispered, wondering what it was.

Alfred nodded mischievously and handed the boy his present. "It was supposed to be for Nana, but her birthday is a long time from now, so you can have it!" The innocent child nodded his thanks and accepted the gift, cautiously tapping the pretty red bow. His three-year old fingers traced the words on the note, not able to understand what they meant. But that didn't matter. With a slight smile, he tugged at the red satin material until it slid off of the white box. His grubby fingers pried open the lid and squealed in surprise as a large frog jumped out of it. Alfred laughed while Matthew screamed, running onto his bed where he'd be safe. Al's frog started jumping up and down while you and Arthur ran upstairs.

"ALFRED! GRAB THAT HIDEOUS THING AT ONCE!" Arthur ordered, scrambling to catch it. Matthew sobbed into your shoulder as you rubbed his back, worry etched on your face. You weren't afraid of frogs, you…ah…just had…a strong dislike of them…yeah that's it! Cautiously, you scooted backwards until you were just outside of the room, safe but still there in case things took a turn for the worse.

"Come back, Mr. Frenchie!" Alfred sang, diving at the frog. "I'll save you!"

"Alfred! Snatch him! Hurry!"

"N-Nana!" Matthew wailed, clinging to your blouse as his terrified tears trickled down onto your blouse, staining the white floral pattern. Sighing, you clutched him tightly, fingers snaking in his hair as you tried to soothe his fears as well as your own.

Arthur and Alfred struggled several more minutes frantically trying to catch the illusive frog, and eventually they captured it. With a disgusted expression, Arthur carried the amphibian outside but just as he was about to drop it on the ground, Alfred sprang forward and grabbed it. "No Mr. Arthur, no! It's Mattie's froggie! He hasta keep it! Don't throw Mr. Frenchy outside! He Mattie's froggie! It's his birthday present!"

The shaggy-haired blonde paused at the incredulous speech the boy uttered and quizzically looked at him, raising a brow. "You gave Matthew a frog for his birthday?!"

"Yeah-huh!" He answered proudly. "Nana said to give him a present, and I gave him his froggie."

Mr. Arthur rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well, I don't think Mattie can keep this frog, Al. He didn't seem to like it too much."

"But I gave it to him!" He pleaded, fisting Kirkland's shirt. "You can't throw away Mr. Frenchy! He's Mattie's froggie!"

Groaning, the master mumbled to himself and sighed. The bright, saddening blue eyes along with the pleading expression completely distracted the Brit from making a proper decision. _He's already learning how to beg…._ "_! Do you have a moment? I need your advice."

You entered the room, still clutching a frightened Matthew. "Yes-OH MY WORD! " You spluttered, shocked to see the frog was still indoors. "Why isn't that thing outside?!"

"But Nana! It's Mattie's froggie!" Alfred whined, tugging on your shirt. "I gave him his present!"

Arthur left the room momentarily to place the frog into his original home and then returned. "_, it seems that Alfred gave that frog to Matthew for his birthday…under your orders."

Quizzically, an eyebrow rose. "I did not tell him to give his brother a frog!"

"You said give Mattie a present for his birthday! I did, Nana! You can't throw away Mr. Frenchy!" He retorted, throwing up his arms dramatically.

At the words _Mr. Frenchy_, your mind traveled back to the blonde visitor from the birthday party. His confession rang in your ears, the color draining from your face at the recollection. You were supposed to call him today! _How am I going to sneak out of the house?! Arthur has a meeting scheduled today, which means I have to watch them! What now?!_

"_?" Arthur's voice snapped your mind back to the present. "Hmm? Oh…ah….I tell you what, Al. We'll make a deal. If you are a good boy allllll day today, I'll let you and Matthew keep Mr. Frenchy…all right?" Relieved that you weren't disposing his gift, the older boy grinned and hugged your legs. "Thanks Nana!"

"You're welcome, love. Now, go brush your hair while I make a phone call, okay?" Gently you lowered the three-year old onto the floor. "You too, Mattie. I'll come back and get you, all right?"

"'Kay Nana!" The boys sang (well….Al did at least) as they ran upstairs (once again…at least Al did). You bit your lip and turned to look at Arthur. The awkward tension still hadn't left the atmosphere at all….especially when he was within close proximity to you. Feeling pressed to say something, your eyes diverted from his handsome face as you fumbled for something to say. Gulping, you managed to gasp out "So….ah…g-good luck….w-with your meeting…"

"Ah….thank you…I hopefully will. Though I wouldn't count on it. What are you going to do today?" His hunter-green eyes were gazing at you with an unreadable expression. _What's going on in his head?_ You wondered.

"Ah…I..well, I thought I'd take the boys….um….shoe shopping. Alfred's feet are growing, and I think it'd be best to by dress shoes for next year. Matthew as well, though he needs some new tennis shoes." You replied, grateful that your mind was sort of functioning.

"Very well then. Good luck then." Arthur replied, coughing awkwardly. "Well then…I should be going…"

"Yes yes, you should." Your face heated slightly at the strange atmosphere. "I need to make that phone call….so excuse me."

"Ah yes….good bye, _."

Blushing, you nodded your goodbyes and hurriedly walked into the kitchen to dial the number inscribed on your thumb.

~~~/\~~~

"Yes, yes I'll meet you there. Very well. Are you sure you don't mind the boys tagging along? Thank you. Yes, that works out, turns out he has a meeting, so this is perfect! I'll meet you by the square like we agreed. Yes, well good bye. Thanks. Bye." You hung the phone back on the hook and sighed in relief.

"Who was you talking to Nana?" Al asked, munching on a cookie he had miraculously snagged from the cookie jar.

"It's 'Who were you talking to', baby. I was talking to a friend of mine. We're going to go talk with him after lunch, okay? Where would you like to go for lunch?"

"MCDONALDS!" Alfred giggled through his full mouth. Matthew, who also had snatched a cookie from the jar, munched on his quietly as he sat on the counter with Kuma, feeding him half of the cookie. You rolled your eyes but agreed. "All right. Let's go to the car then!"

~~~/\~~~

"How much longer?!" The four-year old grumbled, pressing his nose to the glass. "I wanna eat _now_!"

"Just hold on sweetheart, be patient. We'll get there soon enough." You chided from the driver seat. Once more you rolled your eyes and gazed at the road, meditating on how the meeting with Francis was going to go. _What is he going to say? What am I going to say?! _Needless to say, you were curious about Matthew's past, though you weren't entirely certain if this was the right thing: going behind Arthur's back to discover information about one of his own sons. _If he wasn't already letting me go, I'd so be fired for this_…you thought with a sigh.

Matthew sucked on his thumb as his blue orbs looked outside the window, gazing at the trees that whizzed by with his faithful friend, Kumajiro; content as could be. The blonde-haired boy was lost in his own world as the car drove towards McDonald's. Maple leaves, wind, toys, bears, and Nana floated around in his mind, paying no attention to anything that was happening. With a small smile (he does have his thumb in his mouth), he continued to stare out the window, ignoring everyone and everything.

"Hurry Nana!" His impatient brother whined louder. "I'm hungry!"

"We're two minutes away. Can you wait that long?" You huffed, starting to get irritated by the older boy's constant questions. "I'll get you two burgers this time, okay?"

"Really?! Okay Nana!" He happily agreed, grinning so broadly it looked like his face would crack.

~~~/\~~~

Once you three had safely arrived at Al's favorite place, you let them loose in the play land area and stood in line to order their food. As soon as you had paid, you stepped aside so the next person could order.

"_Bon jour ma Cherie_." A French voice called out as a finger tapped your shoulder.

You nearly screamed, slinging your purse upwards in an attempt to hit the Frenchman square on the head. "Oh my…j…j-just don't do that…." You gasped, trying to restart your heart.

Thankfully, Francis ducked in time before any damage could be done. "Not so hard, _ you could have broken my nose!" He chuckled, stepping in front of you to grab your order. "Where are the boys?"

"Ah…..r-right….They're in the PlayPlace, so we can talk without Al trying to attack you. Oh thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled. Careful not to drop the tray, he extended his elbow for you to take. "This way, _mademoiselle_."

"Oh…" you blushed slightly, not accustomed to the romantic manners. "Of course…" Shyly, your hand peeped out from the crook of his elbow as he escorted you to your seat. "Wait a minute….why are you here? We agreed to meet at the square, not at McDonald's."

He laid out the food and looked at you with bright blue eyes, as if trying to discern something. "Oh, ah….well, I was browsing across the street and saw you three enter. I thought I would join you, is that all right?"

"I….I suppose….though they can't see you. I don't want Alfred to attack you again. So, you're going to have to be careful." You warned, opening straws. "In fact, I need to get the-"

He interrupted your sentence with, "_, tell me about Arthur."

"A-Arthur?" You repeated, the hand that was clutching the straw paused mid-air "We're supposed to be here to talk about Matthew!"

"I know, but humor me. Tell me about Arthur." He prompted, propping up his chin with an arm. "I haven't heard much about him. I….want to know if he is the same."

Flushing, you took a large gulp of water and nodded. After swallowing, you started with, "He…ah….he's my boss….umm….he's a good boss, he loves the boys…."

Francis nodded slowly, attention fully channeled towards you. "How does he treat you?"

"Just fine…" your voice trailed off, eyes diverting from his polite stare.

A spark of interest popped from his eyes. "Ah….so that's it. You love him, non?"

His direct question startled you. Hastily you shook your head as your cheeks blazed. "N-No! N-No! N-Nothing of the kind! N-No! N-No no not at a-all! He's my employer! Th-there's no room for l-love in work…"

"He rejected you didn't he…." The Frenchman continued his unusual staring. "The idiot….any man would want you to be theirs….so why didn't he?"

Your cheeks flamed as you stammered, "A-Ah….I…um….n-no, it's not like that! H-honest! J-just u-uh…d-don't…ah…for-forget it…" you dipped your head and started to develop a sudden interest in the table design.

"Do not be that way, come now, I'll stop." Francis whispered. "I just find it unforgivable that that rude Englishman doesn't find himself attracted to you." His hand tapped yours. "Now, tell me about you."

You frowned and glanced at him. "Why me? I wasn't the subject we agreed to talk about. Matthew is."

"_Oui_, but I don't know you that well. I want to know more about you. What are you like?" He casually replied. "I want to know who is taking care of my child."

"Oh…v-very well then…um…my name is _ _, I love my two charges, Alfred and Matthew, and I'm under the employment of Arthur. I'm pretty much a nana, mother figure, maid, and sort of-" Your eyelids drooped lower, "….a sister….I suppose to Arthur."

~~~/\~~~ Her sorrowful expression was as painful as thousand needles being injected into his arm. He understood the ache from rejection, and his heart went out to her. _Out of all the people she had to fall in love with…._Arthur, he knew from childhood, was not the smoothest at relationships. In fact, Arthur was what would call a _tsundere_, which pretty much meant grouchy. He was never satisfied, and always blamed Francis for everything that went wrong in his life. _Yes, perhaps I did take his lover, but….he still shouldn't blame me for everything. If I hadn't, he and _ would never have met._

With a nod, his hand reached out to _'s. "I understand. Now, I'm sure you want to know about Matthew."

"Oh yes, I do," she responded but pointed to the food. "But, Al won't be pleased if his burger is cold. I tell you what. Umm….after this, we're going back to the manor. Why don't you follow us in your car, and while I get the boys to take their naps, you can stay in the kitchen until I come back. Will that work?" _ offered, eyes shining with sympathy.

"_Oui_, that will be perfect. I...I will go take a stroll, and by the time I return, you should be done. Hmmm?" _Thank you, _. I'll get to see my boy one more time._ Francis thought gratefully. Although he had made some mistakes along the way, he deeply cared for the smaller boy under Arthur's care. Matthew….although he didn't seem like it at the time, was now all the Frenchman thought about. He had been in a reflective mood, mind often drifting towards the past:….to Her…..to Matthew….to Arthur….to his childhood. He refrained a sigh, thinking, _I hope Matthew….has a good….has a good childhood. Uncle Francis loves you, Matthew. I hope you're safe._


End file.
